"We are just fortunate Stuart came away with that set-play," he said. "It was a Stuart McCall goal."

Strachan said the move - a short corner, with Maloney playing the ball into the feet of Scott Brown, before scoring with a curled finish from the back-heeled return pass - was a variation of a set-piece used by McCall at Motherwell before he resigned from the Scottish Premiership club earlier this month.

"We can put on a set play, but you have to be able to finish and that's down to ability," he added in praise of Wigan Athletic midfielder Maloney's 75th-minute winner.

He added that he was delighted at the way Maloney and diminutive figures such as Steven Naismith and Ikechi Anya battled against the Irish.

"I have to say that our smaller guys, considering the height and power they were playing against, were very brave," he said.

"There wasn't much football as such, but any chance they had to do that they did. They were brave on and off the ball, the three behind the main strikers."

And he singled out midfielder Charlie Mulgrew for particular praise.

Celtic man Mulgrew missed Scotland's previous two games through suspension and injury but returned in place of James Morrison, sidelined by illness.

"Charlie was absolutely immense," said the manager. "Normally, you would come in and say what a game Scott Brown had, but Charlie's actually taken the mantle tonight and ably backed up by the people round about him. He was the best man on the pitch."

There were many split loyalties at Celtic Park ahead of kick-off

Ireland's Martin O'Neill and Scotland counterpart Gordon Strachan are both former Celtic managers

Steven Fletcher missed a couple of chances for Scotland before going off injured